книги2 / 268

Only the closest relatives were invited, and the neighbors took over the organization of the wedding. A few days before the wedding, messengers were sent to the villages, more often the groom and his friend traveled around relatives and announced the upcoming wedding. It was not the groom himself who came into the house and called to his wedding, this was done by his friend. If there was a need, then relatives helped financially – someone gave wine, someone gave a bull. No one remained indifferent,” notes ethnologist Eliso Sangulia.

Now the side of the bride after the wedding gives the newlyweds dowry in the form of furniture, cars, apartments … depending on their financial capabilities. And in ancient times, the dowry consisted of pouches and towels embroidered by the bride herself … These same handmade little things were “issued” on behalf of the bride as awards at wedding competitions – for example, to the best horsemen.(pic.2)

pic.2

For any bride, a very important part of the celebration is the wedding dress. Girls begin to choose their dress style long before marriage. To date, there are a huge number of different styles of dresses for every taste. Previously, there were no wedding dresses as such. It was an ordinary floor - length dress, not always white, with long sleeves and a tight collar.(pic.3)

pic.3

131

The wedding day of the modern bride starts quite early. After the bride finally got ready, she, along with her fiancé and close friends, travel to beautiful places, take photos, lay flowers at the monument, officially register their marriage, dance and have fun. Then they go home to the groom.

For the first time entering the house, the bride must break any plate with her heel. The ease with which a plate breaks is said to be an indicator of how happy a marriage will be. When starting a bride, they also scatter sweets and coins so that abundance and wealth reign in the house.(pic.4)

pic.4

Moving on to the funniest part of the wedding, I would like to mention that all invited friends and relatives at the wedding must make a gift to the bride and groom – money, which will be recorded in a specific list. It has become an integral part of the holiday, we are all used to it. However, imagine if there was a separate list in this book, from where 100 rubles would be allocated from each donated amount, which the hosts of the celebration would give to some kind of charitable foundation. This could be a wonderful new tradition.

Previously, weddings were played exclusively at the groom's house, under a special canopy. Now there are special halls and restaurants for such celebrations. The bride is brought into the hall

132

full of guests to the special Abkhaz song «Radeda». Men and women were seated separately, young people served. They sat at the table in order of seniority. It should be noted that even today, during the feasts, the Abkhaz adhere to traditional norms of behavior. The bride until the middle of the evening, according to Abate custom, should be alone, without the groom. However, in some regions of Abkhazia, the groom accompanies the bride from the very beginning. Throughout the tribute, her friend stands next to the bride.

From the side of the bride, the wedding is attended by a small group of her relatives. At the same time, the bride's father cannot come to his daughter's wedding.

Hominy, boiled meat, asyzbal (plum sauce), arashikh (nut sauce), chicken with adjika, achapa from thorn or beans, cheese were prepared for the traditional wedding table(pic.5)

pic.5

Today, modern songs and national music are heard at Abkhaz weddings. Performing traditional dances, young people today often do not allow each other to dance at least for a long time. As a rule, the one who wants to dance comes out to replace the one who is already dancing, regardless of how long the couple has been dancing. What has not changed over the centuries is the cheerful atmosphere of Abkhazian wedding festivities.Now she is supported by inviting professional dancers and musicians to the feast. And before, songs were the business of only the elders present. And during the feast, it was also customary to tell parables.

If the wedding was played in winter, then in the evenings, so that the guests would not leave the table because of the cold, they brought burning coals and put them under their feet so that they could warm themselves

133

As the historian Shalva Inal - ipa wrote, among the most persistent ancient prohibitions for the bride the prohibition associated with conversation and names, which has partially survived to this day.

Husband and wife should never, under any circumstances, speak each other's names. The spouses addressed each other as “you” (“uara”, “bara”). The husband did not say the names of his wife's parents. The wife was never to name her father - in - law and mother - in - law, and the oldest in the family of her husband. She called her father - in - law “our master” (ҳаҳ), her mother - in - law – “our mistress” (ҳаҳкәажә). Today, father - in - law and mother - in - law are called “mother” and “dad”.

No less strong was the ban on talking to elders. The daughter - in - law never answered the words and questions of her father - in - law, but only silently listened to them, took note and fulfilled them. Such a ban – not to talk with elders – ethnologists explain as a sign of respect.

Nowadays, as a rule, if the father of the husband wants the daughter - in - law to talk to him, then he asks her to talk to him. Traditional Abkhazian families have also survived, where everything is as usual: the daughter - in - law does not talk, does not sit down at the table, does not call her husband, does not call any of the elders by name.

Summing up the results of the article, I would like to say that it is precisely in the preservation of such traditions that the further development of the original culture of Abkhazia lies. This is what distinguishes us from other countries and peoples, what allows us to talk about our independence and independence.

«At present, it is necessary to transform all spheres of social organization, to revise the established foundations of the Abkhaz people with the aim of further progressive development»[1, p.226].

List of used literature:

1. Ankvab M.F. CONTENT AND PRINCIPLES OF SELECTION OF ETHNO - PEDAGOGICAL MATERIAL TO DEVELOP THE EXPERIENCE OF FOREIGN LANGUAGE COMMUNICATION OF STUDENTS // SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF THE HIGHER SCHOOL IN PRIORITY DIRECTIONS OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. Collection of articles of the International scientific - practical conference. Ufa, 2021. S. 224 - 228.

2.T. A. ACHUGBA ETHNIC HISTORY OF THE ABKHAZS OF THE 19TH – 20TH CENTURIES

134

3.G. F. Chursin Materials on the ethnography of Abkhazia

4.Shalva Inal - ipa «Essays on the history of marriage and family among the Abkhaz» 1954

©Kharaziya L.L. Bartsits D.A. Khurkhumal N.B. 2022

УДК39

Etumyan K. A. Enik L. D.

Tseiba L. D.

Supervisor: Ankvab M. F. Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Language of ASU, Abkhazia Sukhum city

NATIONAL DANCES OF ABKHAZIA

Annotation

The article examines the remarkable culture of Abkhazia, which is represented by national dances. Because they can tell us a lot about the historical culture of any nation.

Keywords

Culture, national dances, Abkhazia, identity of the people, historical culture, tradition, ensemble, promotion at the world level, homeland.

The culture of a people determines its identity. We would like to consider the culture of Abkhazia, delving into the national dances. This topic was chosen by us for a number of reasons.

At present, it is necessary to transform all spheres of public organization, to revise the existing foundations of the Abkhazian people in order to further progressive development [1, p. 226].

One of which is the ignorance of the world community about the historical culture of the Abkhazians And the purpose of our article is to provide this information.

In our opinion, dancing is a kind of life that takes place in a person's destiny. Dance is an ancient art form that reflects a person's need to convey joy and sadness through body movements. Dance has existed and continues to exist in the cultural traditions of all people and societies. Over the long history of mankind, much has changed in dancing, reflecting cultural development. In our opinion, dance is an integral part of any nation. Which depicts its entire historical identity.

Thus, expressing his opinion about dancing, the famous writer, spiritual teacher, traveler and composer, Gurdjieff George says: “By practicing movements, a person can feel that a special alchemical process is going on inside him, which cannot be grasped by rational thought or encountered in everyday life” [6, p. 15].

Dancing in our life is of great importance, due to the fact that we have been engaged in dancing since childhood. Starting from the early period of our life and up to the present day, we are engaged in them with pleasure. Dancing has a special place in our heart. Because, in difficult periods of life, dancing is a calming for the soul of a person.

If we talk about the culture and traditions of the Abkhazian people, they are closest to the North Caucasian peoples: Adygeans, Kabardins and Circassians. The Abkhaz culture was strongly

135

influenced by Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Turkish, and Russian cultures. Today's culture of Abkhazia is a combination of Christian and Muslim cultural traditions.

Abkhazian folk songs are passed from mouth to mouth, from generation to generation, form the national wealth of the people. Among the most popular types of art in Abkhazia are national dances. Abkhazians attach great importance to dancing. All Abkhazian holidays do not take place without dance accompaniment. Talking about the art of dance in Abkhazia is a very exciting activity and at the same time difficult for the soul. Abkhazian national dances involve all the historical and philosophical thinking of the people. This is the connection of customs and traditions, heroism and the birth of the national spirit, tragedy and despair, without which it is impossible to understand the nature of the Abkhazian people.

Coming into contact with this kind of creativity, we are overwhelmed with all sorts of emotions. Including sadness, because much of the Abkhazian culture has been lost forever. The loss of humanity wouldn't matter if people didn't sing and dance. Since all art, and especially dancing, is designed to heal the soul and body of a person.

If you translate the word dance into the Abkhaz language, then they have it sounds like "akuashara", which means "dance", and the word "aikuashara" translates as "spinning around each other". Also among the Abkhazian people, there were those who tried to explain the dance. So in 1964, the centenary singer, dancer Butba Soulah from the village of Atara, gave the meaning of the dance - Akuashara was invented by man for the flight of the soul, so that a person always aspired to the sky. Dancing, a person seems to rise above himself, above the world's impermanence, directs his thoughts to heaven, which means to God and righteous purity. Human society is pretty mired in lies and betrayal, and if our soul aspires to the heights and will be surrounded by light, then a bright future awaits us.

And here's what Tsvizhba Zaira said about dancing in one of the books: “Dance is one of the whales of music, a complex, beautiful, spectacular genre.” [6, p 156]

Also speaking about dancing, the former president of Chechnya Kadyrov Akhmat - Hadji said: “There is no nation without culture.”[5, p 224].

Thus, from these arguments it becomes clear that dance is life, which is a dance around itself. Abkhazians dance from a very young age to a very old age and the famous ensemble of songs and dances of Abkhazian centenarians "Nartaa" serves as proof of this. The age of its participants is 80 years or more. As far as children are concerned, this is how they learn to walk while dancing and vice versa.

Even in the old days, the Abkhazians, attaching great importance to the dance art, usually said that he was beautiful and an excellent singer, but most importantly a dancer. They also talk about dancing like this: “I dance in order to rise above myself, to see the surrounding beauty.” [7, p 20].

From all of the above, we can conclude that dance as an art form conveys all aspects of the life of Abkhazians. For example, there is a kind of dance that is performed by people who have never worn mourning, whose fate has not been affected by grief. This joyful dance is performed by young people when they are having fun. The melody of the dance was recorded at the beginning of the century by musicologist and folklorist, author of the books "One Hundred and One Abkhazian Songs" and "Songs of the Kodori Abkhazians", Honored Artist of Abkhazia Kovach Konstantin.

Abkhazians sang and performed a special dance before going hunting and upon returning from it, completing this ritual with a solemn dance around the prey. In hunting dances and songs, Abkhazians expressed their special respect for the god of hunting named Azhveipshaa.

136

Reflecting on Abkhazian dances and songs, composer and collector of Abkhazian folklore Kortua Ivan said: "God spared us, Abkhazians, and did not make us orphans, giving us the ability to create beautiful melodies and no less beautiful dances."

In our opinion, one of the most beautiful types of Abkhazian dances are such dances as: Ashatshyrtra and Lalzin.

Ashatshyrtra, one of the most beautiful types of dance, which is danced on socks. This is a dance of a military nature, which reflects the effectiveness of victory in the war. Ashatshyrtra, is a theatrical production that is directly related to the combat events and exploits of the Abkhazian soldiers.

Lalzin is one of the old types of dance for girls. It is a dance with slow and smooth choreography, the purpose of which is to show the beauty, femininity and spirituality of Abkhazian girls.

To date, there are a number of professional dance ensembles in Abkhazia, such as: “State Folk Song and Dance Ensemble”, “Sharatyn”, “Caucasus".

The State Folk Song and Dance Ensemble is one of the brightest and most characteristic collectives not only within Abkhazia, but also throughout the Caucasus. The ensemble was created in 1931 at the suggestion of Lakoba Nestor. Its first head was P. Pantsulaya. To date, the artistic director of the ensemble is the People's Artist of the Republic of Abkhazia Tsargush Vasily.

Ensemble “Sharatyn" named after Bebia Eduard, is one of the most popular bands in Abkhazia. It was created in 1970 by the People's Artist of the Republic of Abkhazia Bebia Eduard Vakhaidovich.

This ensemble revived the ancient Abkhazian folk dances, thereby reviving the cultural heritage. The State Folk Dance Ensemble “Caucasus" (fig1) was founded by the People's Artist of the Republic of Abkhazia Tarba in 1994 in memory of those who died in the war. It shows the

multifaceted art of the peoples of the Caucasus.

After Tarba's death, Tarba Arvelod became the artistic director.

With the help of these ensembles, the Abkhazian folk dance art has become the heritage of the whole world.

These ensembles represent Abkhazia at the international level. For example, in October 2010, the State Dance Ensemble “Sharatyn” was invited to the International Folk Dance Festival in South Korea, where it took first place.

Pic1

Summing up, I would like to provide you with information about the culture of Abkhazia through national dances, which are an invaluable treasure of the historical culture of each nation. The world's knowledge of the culture of our country will help us in its promotion at the world level.

137

Literature:

1.Анкваб М. Ф. СОДЕРЖАНИЕ И ПРИНЦИПЫ ОТБОРА ЭТНОПЕДАГОГИЧЕСКОГО МАТЕРИАЛА ДЛЯ РАЗВИТИЯ ОПЫТА ИНОЯЗЫЧНОГООБЩЕНИЯСТУДЕНТОВ// НАУЧНЫЕИССЛЕДОААНИЯВЫСШЕЙ ШКОЛЫ ПО ПРИОРИТЕТНЫМ НАПРАВЛЕНИЯМ НАУКИ И ТЕХНИКИ. Сборник статейМеждународнойнаучнопрактическойконференции.Уфа,2021. С.224 - 228.

2.http: // abkhazia - apsny.ru / music - and - dance

3.https: // repatriate.apsny.land / respublika - abkhaziya / item / 57 - abkhazskie - tantsy 4.https: // need4dance.ru / ?page _ id=354

5.https: // otherreferats.allbest.ru / culture / 00475940 _ 0.html

6.ЦвижбаЗ.Танецкакжизнь.Сухум2016

7.АргунА.Х.Казачкаввихреабхазскойпляски.

©Etumyan K. A., Enik L. D., Tseiba L. D. 2022

УДК- 39

Tskua E.D. author 1 Ankvab Y.M. author 2 Tarba E. G. author 3

Supervisor: Ankvab M.F. Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences Associate Professor of the Department of Foreign Languages of ASU,Abkhazia Sukhum city

TRADITIONS AND CUSTOMS OF ABKHAZIA

Annotation

The article discusses the traditions and customs of Abkhazia.

We chose this topic because traditions and customs are the preservation of our culture, we are sure that they form the thread through which the connection between generations is established.

Keywords:

Traditions, customs, culture, Abkhazia, Abkhazian traditions, Abkhazian people, ancestors, language,history.

Traditions and customs for the nation are the credo of life, the established law of society, the experience of spiritual culture, the foundation of education, upbringing and life. At all times, strict compliance with the requirements and rules laid down in the traditions, respect for them was required.They have always been an integral part of the life of the Abkhazian society. "At present,it is necessary to transform all spheres of public organization,to revise the established foundations of the Abkhazian people with a view to further progressive development" [6,p.226].

Tradition is not the past of culture,not external cultural forms are preserved and transmitted in it, but spiritual influence is transmitted.

Abkhazians are conditionally divided into Gudauta and Ochamchira. There are no fundamental differences in culture and language,but there are nuances in

138

the traditions of ceremonies, in folklore, in everyday trifles. Like any other Transcaucasian country, Abkhazia has many ancient customs and traditions. The basis of the Abkhazian culture is the veneration of elders. This is where all the traditions come from: hospitality, reverence for nature and careful attitude to it, love for native places, protection of the interests of the country, respect for family ties, loyalty to the word, dignity and honor. Abkhazians, for the most part, are very friendly and hospitable people, but they perceive disrespect for their traditions very painfully.

One of the most important of them is considered to be "apsuara" Abkhazian families are patriarchal, the oldest man is considered the head of the family. Family relationships are characterised by great restraint, Abkhazian women have good manners, modesty and hospitality.Offending and humiliating a woman is considered unworthy of a real man by Abkhazians, Abkhazian husbands never resort to beatings and insults.

A well - known Abkhazian ethnologist, professor Sh. D. Inal - ipa emphasises the following idea: "We must understand that a long refusal from the "apsuara" even in the most difficult modern conditions is detrimental to our people. By sacrificing it, we will turn into an unbound mass without our national face." [1, p.16]

There are dozens of definitions of "apsuara”. We believe "apsuara" is everything that characterises Abkhazians as a people: material and spiritual culture, including language, beliefs, etc.

Abkhazians are famous for their hospitality "asasra"

"Asasra", which has a strict imperative character, includes a complex set of interrelated rights and obligations - both host and a guest.

In the villages, even today, when meeting a guest, women put their hand around his head, as if magically transferring his ailments to themselves. Treats are prepared for guests in the house, bread and salt - "acheijika". It is not uncommon for chickens or a kid to be slaughtered on such an occasion. If you are a guest and you are asked to enter the house, then it should be remembered that the right to be the first to cross the threshold belongs to the owner. However, he will not rush to use it and politely give way to the visitor. Here, as a rule, mutual persuasions begin to pass first, which in Abkhazia are called "unei - snei". As a result, the owner "gives up" and goes into the house. He is followed by guests in seniority, relatives and other family members.

In our opinion, it is worth plunging into the topic of Abkhazian culture, at least in order to feel the living breath of bygone eras. The culture of our Abkhazian ancestors, their language and mental attitudes have reached us, even if not in its original form, but since the times when languages and cultures that were now long dead were still alive. The culture of our ancestors, in general, miraculously preserved to this day, is closed to an outsider. Abkhazians show the world their culture through a feast in “apatskhe” and incendiary dances.

Fidel Castro and Nikita Khrushchev's visit to Abkhazia is considered a landmark event and a reason for pride. Dear guests in the Abkhazian village were received in compliance with all traditions, the tables were full of various dishes, there was also alcohol.

"New wine was served to the table, a hefty horn with wine was brought to the guests, and Castro smiled, considering it a joke, but they explained to him that it was not only possible to drink it, but also necessary. He rushed to Khrushchev for protection, who, in turn, replied that he was not the boss here, the toastmaster was the main one here. And Castro drained that horn to the bottom," Nikita Khrushchev's son, Nikita Khrushchev, recalled. "

One of the traditions of Abkhazians that has been established for centuries is a wedding. What has not changed over the centuries is the atmosphere of wedding Abkhazian festivities

139

We would like to note that the Abkhazian wedding ceremony has certain requirements and prohibitions. As the outstanding Abkhazian historian and ethnographer and literary critic Sh. D. Inal - Ipa writes in his book "Abkhazians", "there are two main groups of restrictive prohibitions in the marriage customs of Abkhazians: based on kinship and based on class affiliation. Prohibitions of the first type, i.e. exogamous, applied

primarily to all paternal relatives. Marriages between namesakes are not allowed. Exogamous prohibitions also extended to the maternal family: it is impossible to marry a girl who bears not only the mother's surname, but even the maiden name of the grandmother on the mother's and father's side" [2, p. 205]. These rules were strictly observed and are still observed to this day.

(pic.1)

The main ways of marriage among Abkhazians are as follows: 1) marriage by open negotiations; 2) secret marriage; 3) marriage with abduction. Among Abkhazians, one of the traditions that have been established for centuries is a wedding.

The latter also appears in three forms: a) the secret abduction of the bride by the groom by their mutual agreement; b) with the tacit consent of the girl's parents; c) the secret taking of her against the will of her parents and forced marriage – despite the disagreement of both parents and the girl herself. The latter form – abduction or abduction – occurred when one of the parties did not agree to the marriage. The abducted girl was not brought immediately to the groom's house. She was taken to an influential person in the genus, surname or village. So the young people sought not only patronage, but also alliance in resolving the conflict. Due to the duty of hospitality, an influential relative tried to settle the matter and entered into negotiations with the dissenting party. It usually ended in peace. Abduction, as an exception to the rule, may still take place today.

In our opinion, an interesting feature of Abkhazian weddings is the time of the celebration — night. The next day, horse races are arranged, in which both men and women can participate (pic. 1). Traditionally, the duration of the wedding festivities can range from 1 week to 2. At the end, the newly - made wife is introduced to her future home, which is called the "Big House". Since then, the couple's family life begins.

In addition to wedding traditions,

Abkhazia is also honored in the same was memorial rites, which are called "apshaara", they are an important part of the Abkhazian culture. It is important for each abhaz to honor the memory of his ancestors (pic.2).

140